Elevator control.



E. F. BANHELD:

ELEVATOR CONTROL APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2|. ms.

1,Q93,668. Patented Feb. 11,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. F. BANFIELD.

ELEVATOR CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1913.

Patented Feb 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

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ELEVATOR CONTROL.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. i i. leis.

Application filed November 21, 1913. Serial No. 802,181.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwin F. BANFIELD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevator Control, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in elevator controls. J

One of the objects of the invention is to providean improved elevatorcontrol wherein the operation of the elevator car is im possible unlessthe car door is closed.

Another object is to provide an improved elevator control wherein thecar is stopped whenever the car door is opened.

Another object is to provide an improved elevator control wherein boththe cardoor and the shaft door must be closed before the elevator can beoperated.

Another object is to provide an improved elevator control wherein theoperator may stop the car in any position in the shaft by merely openingthe car door.v

Another object is to provide an elevator control, under the influence ofthe car door, which dispenses with the necessity for a multiplicity ofelectrical circuit contacts and connections at the elevator landings orwithin the car.

A further object is to provide an improved elevator control wherein thecontrol devices are not readily accessible to the car operator andconsequently cannot be easily rendered inoperative to allow the car tobe run without the door thereof being closed.

Another object is to provide an elevator control which is simple,reliable and eflicient.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description and claims.

. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, a

flexible cable, extending along the elevator shaft, ismechanicallycontrolled by the 0pera'tion of the car door to control the-applicationof the driving power to the car so that the car cannot be started untilthe door thereof is closed and may be stopped by the simple act ofopening the door regardless of the condition of the operators ordinarymeans of control. As a further security against accidentthere isprovided an interlock between the car and shaft doors whereby, ifdesired, both doors must be closed before the car can be started. Theimproved control is shown in connection with a hydraullc or air powersupply system, but it will be understood that it is readily susceptiblefor use with other systems or power supply.

One embodiment of the invention is illus trated in tli'e accompanyingdrawings.

The views of the drawings are. as follows:

Figure l is a front elevation of the control mechanism, the elevatorshaft being shown in section andthe elevator being indicated in dottedlines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the elevator showing the parts of thecontrol mechanism which are carried by the elevator car.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory figure showing the manner in which the cable isdeflected when the car door is opened.

l ig. 4: 1s a horizontal section showing the -means carried by the cardoor for operating the cable and also showing the interlock between thecar door and the shaft doors.

Fi 5 is a sectional view of the valve whic is operated by the cable.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the manner in which the weight atthe end of the cable'is mounted.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the motor that renders the elevatoroperating means operative and inoperative, and

Fig. 8 corresponds with Fig. 7 showing the parts in the position whichthey assume when the elevator operating means has been shifted to and islocked in its inoperative position.

An elevator shaft A provided. with doors B at each landing has anelevator car C adapted to travel up and down therein. A wire rope, cord,or tape ll), preferably of high tensile strength and of flat cross-section, as for example a tape of high tension steel. is suspendedvertically from top to,

bottom of the shaft A adjacent to a door E ill) of the car C. The cableD is fastened at its upper end at a point in the shaft above the highestpoint the top of the car ascends to as the car travels in the shaft A,and is kept under proper tension in any suitable manner. In theembodiment illustrated the tension is provided by a weight F fastened tothe lower end of cable l) and guided by guides G. in the hydraulic typeof elevator chosen for illustration the cable controls a fluid lllti lid. p I motor which, in turn, controlsthe elevator nection either withcable 'I) or with the weight F. Usually it is moreconvenient to.

connect the lever h with the weight F, as

.shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

At a suitable point adjacent to the elevator car door E is fastened abar J, carrying a roller K to actuate the cable D by defleeting the samewhen the door Eis opened. When the car door E is of the ordinary foldingtype the bar J is preferably secured to the door E near its outer side,where the after described.

motion of the door is the more rapid; and to increase the efl'ect on theflexible cable D. the cable is' preferably guided by guide rollers L, Lpivoted at the top and bottom of the elevator car C. These rollerscontact with the cable D on the opposite side thereof from that on whichthe roller K contacts. The cable D preferably threads through a yoke atthe end of the bar J, in which yoke the roller K is pivoted.

It will be evident from the foregoing dc,- scription, that, when thedoor E'is open, the cable D will be deflected between the rollers L Land its lower end and also the weight F will be drawn up, and, thereforethe valve H will be correspondingly operated. This operation of thevalve H will cause the operation of the differential motor and thelooking or releasing of the means for starting the car in the mannerherein- The valve H is connected with a pipe viz, supplying operatingfluid under pressure. which fluid is preferably but not necessarilycompressed air, from a. suitable air comprcssor or storage reservoir.Pipe m is also connected with a cylinder 0. The valve H is alsoconnected by pipe 0 with a larger cylinder P, and with an exhaust n. Thevalve and pipes are so arranged that the pressure fluid is alwaysadmitted into the smaller cylinder 0, but is only intermittentlyadmitted to the larger cylinder P, and when the valve H shuts off thefluid from the cylinder P it opens this cylinder to the ex- I haust n.

An operating lever h, of valve H has a pin-and-slot con-- neoaoee leverT, is connected to the piston rod 7, the I carries a rollerZ, which isadapted to en- 'gage a cam U fastened on the sheave V,

shaped that the entrance of the roller Z into the cam groove will forcethe cam and sheave to the middle position and lock the sheave againstmovement. The cam groove is'formed at its inner part with a socket forthe roller Z.

While this invention is adapted to prevent the starting of an elevatorcar when the inner, or car door, is opened, it is also arranged so as toinsure the closing of the outer or shaft doors,-that is, doors openinginto the shaft A at landings,before the car can be started up or downfrom a landing. To effect this, in cases where the outer doors areclosed by hand by the elevator at tendant, I place on the outside of theinner, or car door a flange Y extending vertically from top to bottom ofthe inner door, in such a position as to contact with a lug or roller Xon the inside of the outer or shaft door B, when the inner door isclosing. The top and bottom ends of the flange Y, are beveled as shown,in order to lessen the shock of contact of the flange Y with the lug Xwhen the car C is ascending or descending.

The operation is as follows, assuming that the car C is at a landing andthat the car door E as well as the shaft door B are open.

In this position the cable D will have been deflected as hereinbeforeexplained, and therefore the .valve H will have been thrown to theposition wherein the fluid pressure will have been cut off from thelarger cylinder P. and the cylinder P will have been, connected withLheviexhaust 11. Therefore, the pressure of the 'operating fluid on therelatively smaller piston R of the smaller cylinder 0 will shift thepiston R to the position shown in Fig. 8..and the cam U and lltlt sheaveV will have been forced to their middle position. the car stopped-andthe sheave V locked. so that. the car cannot be started again until thesheave V is released.

it contacts with the lug orroller X on the outer or shaft door B,and\forces the shaft 'door also to fully close and latch. As the cardoor E comes to its closed position, the cable D straightens under thepull of weight F. and the valve H is shifted to a position wherein thefluid ressure isadmitted to the larger cylinder and the eiihaust m isclosed. Now the pressure-of the operating rec memos fluid on the largerpiston S is greater than the pressure of the tiuid on the smaller pistonR, and the lever Tis oscillated so as to t withdraw the cam roller Zfrom the cam 'o groove, whereby the sheave Y is released and is free tobe moved by the elevator car attendant through the cable or shipper d".The attendant by his hand cable or shipper -ll 'can now start the carinthe usual manner. li nen the car comes to a landing the elevator carattendant stops the car by operating his hand cable W so .as to bringthe sheave and cam to the middle position. Then as he opensv the cardoor the cable I) is deflected. and the valve H is thrown to a positionwhereby the fluid. pressure is cut oil from the larger cylinder P, andthe exhaust, is opened as hcreinbe'lore described. N ow the duidin thesmaller cylinder lifts the piston R and forces the roller Z into the camgroove, thereby locking the cam U and the sheave V so that the attendantcannot start the car until the door ll, as well as the door 31 is closedagain.

-t will of course be understood that the uter or shaft doors B may bearranged to be closed by any suitable door closing" device. instead'c-fby hand.

ltow having described my improvements, 1 clainras my invention.

1. The combination with an elevator controller of means for renderingthe controller tme rative'and inoperative, a cable extending calong thehatchway for operating said means, and means whereby the elevator cardoor may operate said cable in any position ot' the elevator.

'2. The combination with an elevator and operating means therefor, of acable extendtil the elevator car door, and means controlled said cabletor controlling; said operating means.

The combination with elevator power supplying means, of means for.renderingthe same operative and inoperative, a cable extending throughthe hatchway tor operating said last named means, and means whereby theelevator car door may operate said cable in any position of. theelevator.

4c. The combination with elevator power supplying means. of means forrendering the same operative and inoperative, a cable extending: throughthe hatchway for operating said last named means. means whereby theelevator car door may operate said cable in any position of theelevator, and means for preventing closing of the elevator car dooruntil the hatchway door is closed.

5. The combination with an elevator of means for controlling the powersupply to the elevator operating means, said means having an operatingsheave provided with a cam recess therein, a cooperating cam arm havingmeans for operating it to positively lid tall

log along the hatchway and operated bypositively shut oil and the'powercontrolling means locked against operation until the car door is closed.

6. The combination with an elevator of means for. controlling the powersupply to the elevator operating means, said means having anoperatingsheave provided with a cam recess therein, said sheave being con trolledfrom the elevator. at, a cooperating cam arm having; means for operatingit to positively move the power controlling means to a position to shutoil the, power and locking it therein, said cam operating means be-' ingcontrolled by the elevator car door so that.- when the car door isopened the power is positively shut otl and the controlling means lockedagainst operation until the carfdoor is closed.

The combination with an elevator of means for controlling the powersupply to the elevator operating means, said means being controlled fromthe elevator car and having a cam surface associated therewith, acooperating eam,-a hydraulic cylinder of relatively small size by whichsaid cam is biased to a position to positively move and loclr said powercontrolling means in a po sition to shut off the power, a hydrauliccylinder of relatively large size for also controlling said cam andwhich acts to move the cam to a position to unlock said powercontrolling means, a controlling valve for controlling the power supplyto said cylinders, a cable for actuating said controlling valve andextending through the elevator hatchway, a weight for maintaining saidcable in a substantially perpendicular line when the car door is closedso that the con trolling valve admits power to both cylinders andunlocks the power controlling means, the car door being arranged to movethe cable laterally to shorten its effective length as the car door isopened to thereby allow the relatively large cylinder to ex haustwhereby the small cylinder positively causes the power controlling meansto be moved to a position to shut oil the power and locked therein.

8. The combination with a hydraulicallyoperated elevator of a valve forcontrolling the power supply to the elevator operating means, a sheavefor controlling said valve and operated from the elevator car, a camrecess in said sheave, a pivoted cam arm cooperating with said recess, ahydraulic cylinder of relatively small size for biasing the cam arm intothe recess to positively move and lock the sheave in a position to shutoft the power, a hydraulic cylinder of a relatively large size formoving the cam too from said recess to unlock said sheave, a

controlling valve for controlling the supply of power to said cylinders,a cablein the elevator hatchway for controlling said controlling valve,a weight for normally maintaining said cable in a substantiallyperpendicular line so that the controlling valve is normally biased to aposition to admit the sheave, said cable being interlaced with powerto'both cylinders whereby the large cylinder overcomes the smaller andunlocks the elevator car door so that when the car door is opened thecable is moved laterally dering said means inefi'ective for controllingthe-raising and lowering of the elevator car, a cable extending alongthe elevator hatchway for controlling said mechanism, and

means influenced by the elevator car door for operating said cable.

10. The combination with dill elevator car and a controller forcontrolling the operation thereof, of a cable extending along theelevator hatchway and afi'ected by the opened and closed condition ofthe elevator car door, and means cooperating with said controller andsaid cable for preventing the operation of the controller when the .cardoor is open and allowing the operation of the controller when the cardoor is closed.

11. The combination with an elevator and operating means therefor, of amember extending along the hatchway and actuated by the elevator cardoor, and means controlled by said member for controlling said operatingmeans.

Signed at New York city, in' the county of New York, and State of NewYork, this 19th day of November, A. D. 1913.

EDWIN F. BANFIELD.-

Witnesses: v V. P. TRAVERS,

WALTER.U. HARRIS.

